April 12, 2011
IRVING, Texas - Baylor's equestrian team had 16 members named to the Big 12 Academic At-Large Team, announced by the conference office Tuesday. The Bears had nine student-athletes on the first team and seven on the second team.
The squad recognizes the academic accomplishments of student-athletes at Conference institutions that participate in sports outside of Big 12 competition. The sports included are bowling, competitive cheer, men's gymnastics, equestrian, rifle, rowing and men's and women's skiing.
Baylor's first-team members include senior Blair Burgeson (Chemistry/Mora, Mo.), sophomore Taylor Brown (Anthropology/Forensic Science Palmyra, Va.), senior Katie Buss (Management/Concrete, Wash.), sophomore Madeline Felio (Biology/Flowermound, Texas), junior Lisa Goldman (Business/Hawthorn, Ill.), senior Whitney McIlvain (Religion/Anchorage, Alaska), junior Meghan Murphy (Speech Communication/Saint Clair, Mich.), sophomore Olivia Rogers (Sports, Sponsorship and Sales/Lone Star, Texas), senior Andrea Schweiker (International Studies/Denton, Texas), junior Kim Woodsum (Math/Arlington Heights, Ill.).
The student-athletes on the second team are senior Margaret Beaudoin (Accounting/Portland, Ore.), junior Taylor Bettis (History/Political Science/Austin, Texas), junior Kara Fergusson (Management/Hillsboro, Ore.), senior Amanda Miller (General Studies/Bridgewater, Va.), senior Suzanna Nelson (Art History/Vista, Calif.), senior Ashley Smith (Finance Fulshear, Texas), senior Kendra Vicary (Communication Specialist Whitehouse, Ohio) and senior Cody Wooten (Professional Writing/San Antonio, Texas).
Nominated by each institution's director of student-athlete support services, the academic at-large squad consisted of 128 first team members combined with 33 on the second team. First team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, and the second team are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.
To qualify student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of their team's scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.
